Last updated Nov 29, 2025
politicsgovernment
Pete Buttigieg’s role as Secretary of Transportation will position him to become either a future U.S. vice‑presidential nominee or presidential nominee, and he will emerge as a prominent national political figure (“one of the bright stars”) in subsequent election cycles after 2020.
Pete Buttigieg going on Fox recently. I think he did a masterful job... and then he gets himself this, uh, Secretary of transportation. And I think he's set up to either be the VP or the presidential candidate, uh, in the future. And he's I think he's going to be one of the bright stars.View on YouTube
Explanation

Jason’s prediction has largely played out as described.

  • Buttigieg became Secretary of Transportation and gained national prominence. He was nominated and served as U.S. Transportation Secretary in the Biden administration, becoming the first openly gay Cabinet secretary and a highly visible national figure. (newenglandconstruction.news) His Cabinet role kept him in national media, on major networks, and at the center of high‑profile infrastructure and transportation debates.

  • His DOT role has clearly positioned him as a future presidential or vice‑presidential contender. In the 2024 cycle, Harris’s campaign formally vetted him for vice president; reporting on the 2024 Democratic VP selection notes Buttigieg as one of the serious finalists, and Harris later wrote that Buttigieg was actually her first choice for running mate before she decided a ticket with a Black woman and a gay man might be electorally risky. (en.wikipedia.org) By 2025, multiple outlets describe him as a leading potential 2028 presidential candidate, and his public behavior—national town halls, fundraising network reactivation, and a deliberate media strategy—has been interpreted as laying the groundwork for a future White House run. (politico.com) He has even declined 2026 Michigan Senate and gubernatorial races in part to preserve his 2028 presidential prospects, which strategists explicitly frame as maximizing his path to the presidency. (nypost.com)

  • He is regarded as one of the party’s “bright stars.” Coverage characterizes him as part of the top tier of the Democratic bench for post‑Biden/Harris national leadership, frequently listing him alongside governors and other high‑profile figures as a leading 2028 contender. (reuters.com)

While Buttigieg has not yet actually become a presidential or vice‑presidential nominee as of November 2025, Jason’s prediction was that the Transportation Secretary role would set him up for those possibilities and make him a major national figure in subsequent election cycles, not that he would secure the nomination by a specific date. On those terms—elevated national profile, serious VP vetting, and being widely viewed as a likely future presidential candidate—the prediction is best judged as right.